The Giants received clarity on the future for one of their veteran starting pitchers on Sunday.
Left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea told the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser that he will opt out of the remainder of the two-year, $25 million contract he signed with San Francisco last offseason and will become a free agent.
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Manaea was expected to play a big role in the Giants' rotation last season, but struggled early on and was moved to the bullpen as a long reliever. He pitched better toward the middle part of the season and eventually reclaimed a starting role with a strong finish to the campaign.
The 31-year-old finished the season with a 4.44 ERA in 117 2/3 innings pitched with 128 strikeouts and a respectable 3.90 FIP.
Manaea had a 5.49 ERA in the first half of the season and a 3.43 ERA in the second half, including a 2.67 ERA in the final month, which likely influenced his decision to opt out.
Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has said the organization will target top-of-the-rotation starting pitching this offseason, which makes a reunion with Manaea unlikely but certainly shouldn't be ruled out.
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The Giants would have owed Manaea $15 million in 2024 and in an underwhelming free-agent starting pitching market, the veteran has positioned himself to potentially land a larger contract elsewhere.
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